June 15, 2013

Location, Location, Location....

26 “Does the hawk fly by your wisdom, And spread its wings toward the south?

27 Does the eagle mount up at your command, And make its nest on high?

As far as images go, it will probably never get many points, but it does document the sight. The "kids" had already hatched and left home and I can imagine that they were happy to do so. I am not certain what bird (perhaps a "cactus wren") nested here but it must have been a hardy soul.

There are some advantages I suppose. I can't imagine a snake slithering up that cactus plant seeking to have eggs for breakfast. Other predators were probably similarly discouraged. But this nest is right on the top of that cactus... exposed to the blazing hot sun and surrounded by barbed needles that (at least in my mind) would make learning to fly a bit of a daunting idea. Like parachuting out of an airplane, it is in the category of things that have to be done right the very first time. Oh well...

Let's face it... if we had been in charge of designing the world, would we have arranged it this way?

Some things that occur to me:

How little we really comprehend the interlocking mechanisms that God has built into our universe! When we look at a cactus plant the first thing that jumps into our mind is how strangely pretty it is and how forbidding is its nature. No one wants to pet a prickly pear. We do not immediately look at a cactus and think of it as a home for birds... or food for bats.... or a source of water for thirsty creatures in a barren land. The cactus fits within a web of relationships, which for all man's vaunted knowledge and progress, is still far from comprehensively known or understood.

And what can be said about cactus plants can also be said for all the rest of God's creation. I am not one of those rabid "tree-huggers" that grieve over every fallen tree, but they do have a point. Human beings, as a race, are far too prone to pave over huge sections of landscape without paying any close attention to what collateral effects will accrue. To some extent we do this at our own peril. I do not trust bureaucratic government and its heavy handed methods to help us change this situation. During the Great Depression of the 1930's FDR's administration came up with the Civilian Conservation Corps as a way to use public money to employ people and use them for various "good works." At Zion National Park they had the idea that building "levees" would keep the Virgin river from destroying so much of the surrounding ecology. What they didn't understand was the delicate balance between the Cottonwood trees and the periodic flooding. There are sections of the park which once abounded in new Cottonwood growth that are now aging out of existence. Further more, the levees, rather than spreading the power of the rapidly surging river, focused it downward creating deeper clefts in the river bank. The effects of this are still not quite understood. The point is, even "good" intentions can bring problems that might outweigh our initial desires. While we must not give up in despair, saying we will never know enough, yet, at least we should be judicious in our efforts.

If we are going to make any progress here it's going to have to be a "grass roots" effort... self-control and awareness is the only real hope and that comes down to individuals and families shifting from mindless exploitation to focused appreciation. Rather than going to Disney world with the kids, perhaps it's time to consider a week long camping trip to one of our National parks where guided hikes, tutorials, environmental programs are readily and inexpensively (many are free) available. It might be a place to start... and who knows, after the initial whining, the kids might even enjoy it.

But at the root... contemplating a bird's nest in a cactus plant ought to bring us back to Job's position: we ought to be humble before God. His wisdom is so far above ours. The surgical skill that is reflected in the complexity and inter-dependent schemes that constitute this amazing universe around us, should elicit our wonder. What an amazing thing He has done! What an amazing God He is. The lyrics to "How Great Thou Art" embody this idea and it is well worth it, on a cool Saturday morning after a difficult and heart wrenching week, to remember that this is the God we serve.